AUT: EMS (fwd)

[Spoon Collective <spoons@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 21:14:04 +0100
From: John Hutnyk <John.Hutnyk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: John.Hutnyk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Fwd: EMS]
From: Vijay.Prashad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 25 Mar 1998 13:52:25 -0500 (EST)
>From: Vijay Prashad <vprashad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
X-Sender: vprashad@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Comrades, the CPM website is at http://wwwdel.vsnl.net.in/cpim and it
worked for me just now.  Below is an obit I wrote for EMS.
Vijay.

In EMS's Memory

The fight for social justice is a mighty tradition, one to be ever fought
for and never to be surrendered.  At the death of EMS Namboodripad, we
are given the opportunity to reflect on that tradition.  Born 89 years
ago, EMS spent his entire life in the fight for social justice and
against imperialism, feudalism, communalism and neo-liberalism.  An
astute theoretician, EMS's writings can be gleaned from two collected
volumes, an extended review of Nehru's life, long histories of Kerala and
the role of the communists in Kerala as well as work on secularism and
the judiciary.  Apart from anything, EMS was instrumental in the leading
role taken by the Left in the recent United Front experiments.  As at
other times, men and women of valour, of endless courage, of deepest
wisdom arise to defend those values held dearly by humanity.  EMS was one
such man.  When the Congress was in danger of being swept into the orbit
of wealth and power, he founded the Congress Socialist Party and, in
1936, the Communist Party of India in Kerala.  Today, the praise for
Kerala is echoed across the world: the basis for the positive social
indicators in that state was laid by the first communist elected ministry
in India (1957) with EMS as Chief Minister and by the united front
government that he led from 1967-69.  His leadership of the Communist
Pary of India [Marxist] from 1978-1992 ensured the growth of this party
into a viable and moral political force.  Today, at EMS's death, evil men
supported by those of wealth and power dare to vainly hope that the
people of India will at long last be terrorized and bludgeoned into
submission.  The memory of EMS can only be served by a continual
vigilance against any form of intolerance and injustice.  Today the axis
government offers a holiday in EMS's memory; will they remember EMS when
their policies turn the hope of the multitude into despair?

Vijay Prashad
Assistant Professor of International Studies
Trinity College
Hartford, CT. 06106-3100.
(860) 297-2518
(860) 297-5358 [fax]




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